Worker’s Monument
Worker's Monument is a metal votive plaque framed by scaffolding.
Modern and Contemporary era (1912 - )
1917 Created.
Ottoman era (1453- 1912)
Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)
Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)
Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)
Classical era (478-323 BC)
Archaic era (800-479 BC)
Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)
Prehistory (-1100 BC)
What I can see
The “Worker’s Monument” or “May Day ’36 Monument” or “Fallen Workers’ Monument” has been placed in front of the “Venizelou” metro station. It is a metal votive plaque framed by scaffolding. It represents a mother mourning her dead son. The representation is abstract and the figures’ limbs are out of frame, giving perspective to the figures and drama to the artwork.
What I can't see
The sculpture was created by Angelos Vlassis. This is not its original size (the scaffolding was larger), because its current location is not the original one. It was located in front of the Thessaloniki Labour Centre. It is dedicated to the approximately 6,000 tobacco workers who demonstrated at the Government House on May 8, 1936, resulting in a violent police repression, which led to shootings, trampling and eventually 280 injured and 9 dead. This incident led to a general uprising and became a one-on-one clash between the police and the crowd. The funerals of the victims gathered 150,000 citizens. The army sent to disperse the crowd joined the protesters. In the end, the government sent the fleet and army from Larissa, resulting in the suppression of the riot with another 12 people dead.
Bibliography
Katsoridas D., (2015), Φεντερασιόν και Μάης του ’36: Δύο βασικοί ιστορικοί σταθμοί της πόλης της Θεσσαλονίκης ως παράδειγμα για ένα νέο εργατικό- συνδικαλιστικό κίνημα σήμερα, [Federation and May of ’36: Two main historical milestones of the city of Thessaloniki as an example for a new labour union movement today], in Kairidis D., (ed.), (2015), Θεσσαλονίκη, μια πόλη σε μετάβαση, 1912-2012, [Thessaloniki, a city in transition, 1912-2012], Thessaloniki: Epikentro, p.p. 300- 315
Orfanidis D., (2016), Υπαίθρια Γλυπτά της Θεσσαλονίκης, παράμετροι υποβάθμισης και φθοράς των υλικών τους, Διπλωματική Εργασία, [Outdoor Sculptures of Thessaloniki, parameters of degradation and wear of their materials], A.U.Th.
Digital glyptotheque, (2020), Μνημείο Πεσόντων Εργατών, Θεσσαλονίκη, [Monument to Fallen Workers, Thessaloniki]
https://www.digitalglyptotheque.gr/greece_exhibits/%CE%BC%CE%BD%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%8C%CE%BD%CF%84%CF%89%CE%BD-%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%B1%CF%84%CF%8E%CE%BD-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA-2/
Last visit 18/12/2023
